Renny looked nervous. “So much could get lost in translation…”
“Yes,” said Lhamo, “but we don’t know how far in the future these prophecies will be needed. We must preserve the prophecies during the years to come, and that means intrusting them to the monks in our temple.”
Oryan took a swig. “Why not just publicize the prophecies as soon as we’re done with them?”
“Because people would think we’re nuts.” Hazen frowned into his glass.
Lhamo nodded at his words.
Mino tapped him on the shoulder and pointed.
Lhamo looked back through the casino and waved. “Ah, there’s Sonyeah.”
Hazen turned. It took him a second to spot Sonyeah, considering she was no longer dressed like a trapezist or wearing face paint. Sonyeah held up a hand to wave at them, but she was on her phone and looked distracted. As she ended her call and lowered her phone, she frowned and seemed to debate a second before turning and heading back toward the lobby.
Hazen’s blood drained from his face. He recognized her now.
Oh, my God, he thought. It’s Sonyeah. She’s the woman from my nightmare!
This sobered him considerably. Without thinking, he shoved back his chair and dashed across the casino after her.
“Hazen?” called Renny.
He tried not to throw up as he hurried past tourists and gamblers and jingling coins. Once in the lobby, he had a clearer path to the hotel’s revolving doors. He saw Sonyeah exiting onto the sidewalk, and the streetlights illuminated her face as she looked left, then right. Hazen reached the doors behind a family slowly exiting, and he tried not to panic as he shuffled forward.
Sonyeah, outside, looked into a crowd approaching the hotel doors. Her eyes widened as she apparently recognized someone, and her mouth opened to scream.
The gunshot that went off blasted above every other sound. Sonyeah fell backward to the ground, blood soaking her shirt.
People screamed and ran from the scene. The glare of the lights sparkled against the door’s glass as Hazen finally pushed through. He looked in time to see a man put a gun in his coat. Hazen couldn’t see his face, and the man hurried away through the panicked crowd. A cop car’s loud siren added to the confusion, but Hazen regathered himself and ran to Sonyeah, kneeling beside her.
When the cop car pulled up, Hazen stayed with Sonyeah but shouted, “That way!” He pointed up the sidewalk. “The shooter went that way!”
One cop sprinted off down the sidewalk, and his partner went to radio for backup.
Sonyeah grabbed Hazen’s shirtsleeve. “Vin…”
Oh, shit! thought Hazen. In my nightmare she was saying, ‘Vin’ not ‘Win.’ How’d I miss this?
She gasped for breath, but a second later her head dropped and she was still.
An ambulance pulled up behind the cop car.
Hazen saw blood on his shirt where Sonyeah had touched him, but he didn’t care. He sat back on the sidewalk and started to cry. “I’m so sorry. I’m so, so sorry.”
4
The Infected
Swirling, fire-colored light. Inside a dark, metallic container, dozens of bodies float in zero gravity. The smell is nauseating. One body goes by, deathly gray and covered in fungus. The male body is naked, and dark veins bulge under his skin. The man’s head turns, and his bloodshot eyes lock with Hazen’s. The man isn’t dead after all, and he opens his mouth to scream with the most terrifying, inhuman shriek Hazen has ever heard. This awakens several of the other bodies in the container, and they turn reddened eyes to shriek at Hazen.
Hazen woke and sat upright with a small cry of fear. He was back in his hotel room, on his bed. Judging by the light coming through the window, it was early morning. He looked at his watch on the nightstand – 8:00 a.m. Someone had taken off his clothes, and he was now down to his boxers. He felt his brain sloshing inside his head, so he lay back on the pillows and held his face.
The door connecting to Renny’s room opened, and Hazen had the presence of mind to pull the sheet over his bottom half. Renny, dressed in pajama shorts and a tank top, stepped across the room and sat cross-legged on the other side of the bed.
“You okay?”
“I forgot what a hangover feels like.”
“There’s water on your stand. And aspirin. I rubbed lotion on your latest tattoo. It looked sore.”
“Thanks.” Hazen looked over and reached for the water and aspirin. After swallowing the pills and taking a drink, he then lay back and looked at her. “Please, tell me you didn’t have to undress me.”
“Mino did that.” Renny pulled her eyes from the tattoo of a futuristic car on his chest. She swallowed. “Your shirt was covered in blood.”
Remembering Sonyeah’s death, Hazen looked at the ceiling. “I feel awful.”
“There’s nothing you could’ve done.”
He knew this was true, but even that was an odd feeling. “Did the cops find Vin?”
“No. But Seth talked to the cops after you gave your statement, and he told them he suspected who’d done this. The cops checked Sonyeah’s phone, and Vin did call her right before she went outside. Then after we brought you back here…” Renny rubbed her arms and looked scared.
Hazen tried to sit up and made it as far as bracing himself on his elbows. “What? What’s wrong now?”
Renny frowned. “Vin called Lhamo right after the cops left.”
“What?” The volume of this hurt his head.
“Vin was gloating about how free he’ll be with his vision partner dead. He said he’s trying to get rid of the dream futures. He believes if he kills those of us who dream, only the nightmare versions will come true. He’s trying to make them real, unalterable. Lhamo said he sounded like a madman.”
Hazen felt his pulse racing. “Does that mean Vin’s after you now too? And Oryan?”
Renny nodded. “Seth doesn’t think we’ll be safe in their community in Utah. Vin could get there easy. But if we stay on our own… Vin’s seen us now. He’d find us.”
Hazen sat all the way up. “So on top of everything else, now a psychopath is after us. What should we do, ask for protective custody?”
Renny raised an eyebrow at him. “You want to explain this to the cops?”
“No, you’re right. I’ve been to the psych ward already.” Hazen huffed. “Lhamo or Seth have any ideas?”
They’re the only people who can help us, he thought.
Renny bit her lip. “Lhamo wants to take us to the Kota temple. Lhamo says Vin’s never been there, and it’s hard to get to. That’d probably be the best place to go. We can’t abandon all this now. We can train at the temple, Lhamo says. We can write the prophecies there. And they say it’s safe.”
“Where’s this temple?”
“Tibet.”
He widened his eyes. “Tibet?”
“Yeah.” She looked uncomfortable. “Problem is, the Kota don’t have this kind of money to throw around. Lhamo paid for me to go to Toronto, but Tibet is a whole other load of moolah. He said he’s not sure if the Kota have enough to pay for him to get to Tibet. If we’re to go with him, the four of us will have to pay our own way.”
“Renny, your life’s in danger. I won’t let a little thing like airfare hinder our escape.”
“I can’t let you pay for my-”
“Nonsense. Of course I will. You might’ve noticed by now that I’m a spoiled rich kid?”
“Well, the Maserati and private jet tipped me off.”
Hazen had to smile. “How are Jazzmon and Oryan financially?”
“I don’t know, but they looked pretty worried when Lhamo told us this problem.”
“Guess I’m getting four tickets, then.” Hazen realized something and rubbed his hands against his face. “Shit. I need to go home and ask for money.”
“We can find another way…”
“No, I’ve got the money, Renny. That’s not the problem.”
“Then what is?”
“Any time I draw more than a thousand bucks from my accounts, I have to obtain written consent from one of my parents. That was one of the conditions my mom set in place when I was released from the hospital.” Hazen looked away, embarrassed.
“Oh… And I’m guessing your mom wouldn’t give consent for this?”
“Not a snowball’s chance in Vegas. But I think I can talk my dad into it.” He looked at Renny again. “He knows about my nightmares.”
“What?” Her eyes widened. “I haven’t told either of my parents, and they’re both awesome. My brother doesn’t even know.”
“I wasn’t exactly thinking clearly at the time.” Hazen sighed. “My mom flipped out when I told her about seeing Chuck’s accident, but my dad believed me that I wasn’t making things up. He didn’t understand what was going on, but he tried to talk my mom out of committing me. He didn’t win the argument, obviously. When I was finally released, I was a mess for a while. In college, I got into…all kinds of things to avoid having nightmares.”
Renny nodded. “Yeah, I remember a period where I didn’t dream of you for a long time. I worried about you.”
“Sorry.” He hadn’t even thought of this. “Anyway, when I finally cleaned up and sorted out how to avoid the distant-future nightmares, I started having the usual kinds of nightmares again. I couldn’t keep it to myself anymore. I was visiting Dad for a weekend, and I told him about a nightmare of a lady drowning in Lake Michigan. He went with me to the lakeshore. Dad actually dove in and saved that lady.”
Renny’s eyes lit with memory. “Yeah, I saw that one. Never realized you told him, though.”
“Ever since, Dad’s believed me. Whenever I have a nightmare now, he lets me access my funds and travel to wherever I need to go. Mom thinks he’s indulging my wanderlust – it’s not like we can tell her the truth. Dad just tells her I’m traveling to find my way, which I suppose is partly true. And Dad knows I help people. After Chuck… It’s cathartic for both of us, I think.”
“Do you think he’ll let you pay for four tickets to Tibet?”
“I hope so. This whole thing is kinda out there, though, so I’m not sure what to tell him.”
Renny paused in thought. “You told me your mom’s still in L.A. Where’s your dad live?”
“Milwaukee, Wisconsin.”
“Okay.” Renny managed a smile. “Next stop, Milwaukee.”
Hazen hesitated. “You don’t need to come with me, Renny. It’d be safer to stay with Seth and the others. You guys can make plans, and I’ll meet up with you once I’ve got the money.”
Renny squirmed and crossed her arms, apparently not knowing what else to do with them. Then she rolled her eyes at herself. “Oh, hell. Hazen, I have to go. I’ve seen it.”
“Seen what?”
“I had a dream right before I heard you cry out in here – I don’t even want to know why.” She held up a hand to stop him in case he wanted to tell her.
No, he thought, this is definitely not the time to tell her about those infected people.
“I dreamed of myself,” said Renny, “with you, in a fancy house. I’m guessing that’s your dad’s place.”
“Okay… Does Dad let us take the money?”
Renny made a face. “Didn’t see that part.” She stood from his bed and walked to the connecting door. “But I guess we’ll find out together.”
5
The Program Director
Hazen hadn’t seen Renny this shy.
To be fair, Salvatore Stephenson was an intimidating figure. But the six foot five inch, gray haired, impeccably dressed man was smooth, and Hazen knew he could win over anyone. And, it was a fortunate bit of luck on his end that he’d suggested they have drinks in the library, where Renny would be at ease.
Accepting that he was off the wagon, Hazen sipped his Aberlour and grinned over his glass. They sat in leather chairs next to a grand fireplace, and the beautiful room was as pristine as ever. Renny was trying to listen to Sal – he insisted everyone call him that – talk about the latest developments at his branch of the World Space Program. But, Renny couldn’t keep her gaze from drifting around the ceiling-high bookshelves.
“When they discovered new planets that might sustain human life, it prompted a resurgence of interest in space. The WSP’s focus is finding a way to travel to…” Sal saw Renny was distracted and mistook it for boredom. “Sorry, I do tend to go on and on about the space program. It’s such an exciting time.”
Renny’s head snapped back. “No, no. I’m sorry. It is interesting. I was admiring your collection of zombie fiction. It surprised me. You don’t seem…” She didn’t know where to go with this and looked to Hazen for help.
Hazen chuckled at her. “Dad’s an eclectic guy.”
Sal toasted him.
Hazen smiled. This was the parent he’d always known loved him. His mother was difficult, to put it mildly, but Hazen had always had a good relationship with his father.
“I may be a space nut,” said Sal, “but I have my guilty pleasures. And I admit, the entertainment of my youth has always had a soft spot in my heart.”
Renny smiled openly now. “I love millennial culture.”
“It was a turbulent time, that’s for sure. I still can’t believe how much long-buried prejudice spilled back into the mainstream. But it did wake us up.” Sal waved a hand to move on. “As for the more enjoyable aspects of the culture, I’m admittedly a nerdy fan.”
Renny rolled her eyes. “My mom named me after an actor who was on one episode of a sci-fi show she liked.”
“Ha! Our parents gave us weird names too, but we hipsters took it to a whole new level.”
“Yes! It’s like a competition to see who can be more ridiculously inventive.”
Sal laughed and pointed at Hazen. “I picked his name because his mother wouldn’t let me name him Raison!”
Hazen looked at the ceiling.
Renny burst out laughing.
Sal looked pleased with himself and took a gulp from his whiskey.
Hazen looked between them. “Do I even need to be here?”
“Sorry, Raison.”
Renny lost it again.
Sal turned back to his son more seriously. “Where’ve you been gallivanting this time?”
Hazen restarted the conversation he’d tried an hour ago when they first sat down. “I was in Toronto. That’s where I met Renny. Then we flew to Vegas.”
Sal’s eyes widened. “Did you two elope? And you didn’t even tell-”
“No!” Hazen felt himself blush, and he slapped his face. “That’s not what I meant. We were-”
Renny laughed, then looked at Hazen and contemplated his face. “You know, Hazen does look a lot like that famous singer my mom loved. I always thought he was cute.”
“Oh, good grief.” Hazen pinched between his eyes.
Sal took another sip and held up his hands to settle the room. “Okay, I’m sorry. No more jokes at your expense, son. It’s not every day you bring a beautiful woman home.”
Renny looked surprised by this and lifted an eyebrow at Hazen.
He ignored her and plowed ahead. “Dad, we went to Vegas because Renny wanted me to meet people there. They’re called the Kota.”
Sal’s expression flashed with concern. “That new cult?”
“What? No. Dad they’re not-”
“Sir,” Renny interjected, “I grew up as Baptist as Baptist can be. There’s nothing about the Kota movement that makes me think they’re a cult. My parents even approved of my going on a Kota mission trip during college.”
“Baptist, huh?” Sal’s eyes went to her nose ring. “I doubt your parents approve of that little guy.”
“I said I grew up Baptist. Then I realized it wasn’t evil to have fun.” A smirk pulled at the corner of her mouth. “But my style choices don’t bother my parents. They were much more upset about my MFA
in Creative Writing. ‘Useless’ was the exact word they used.” She winked at Hazen. “I’ll show them.”
Hazen made a face. “Anyway, we met with the Kota because… Dad, they know about people like me.”
Sal lowered his half-raised glass, and his gaze swung to Renny.
This is our big, weird family secret, thought Hazen. Can’t blame him for being surprised I’d talk about it in front of her.
“Dad, Renny’s like me too.”
Sal looked at her.
All her laughter gone now, Renny nodded back at him.
“So…” Sal tried to piece this together. “The Kota can explain why you have these nightmares? Can they make them stop?”
“No, I don’t think so. But they say there’s a reason for what I see. If they can help me figure out why I see visions, I want to go with them.”
“Where?”
“Tibet.”
“Have you lost your mind?” Sal’s face paled. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean…”
“It’s okay, Dad. I’m not crazy. I know that for sure now.” He smiled at Renny, then took a breath. “Dad, I need to do this. And I don’t mean this is some selfish quest to find myself or anything – although that’s probably what we should tell Mom. Renny and I can use our visions to potentially help a lot of people.”
Sal thought a moment. “But you’re already helping people. Isn’t that enough? I’ve never understood your nightmares, and I’m sorry I can’t. I really wish I could’ve helped you sort out all this. Especially after losing Charles.”
Hazen swallowed. “I know, Dad.”
Sal set his drink on a side table. Then he stood from his seat and smoothed out the front of his suit shirt. “Miss Nado, would you mind if we excuse ourselves? I’d like to have a word alone with my son.”
Renny held her glass and smiled up at him. “Of course, sir. I’ll stay here and look at your books if that’s okay?”
“My books would be honored.” Sal winked at her. Then he motioned for Hazen to join him as he left the room.
The Prophet Page 4